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Bryson DeChambeau hit with controversial 2-shot penalty, throwing Open Championship into chaos
Yahoo Sports Canada • • general
Key Points:
- Bryson DeChambeau was penalized two strokes at The Open Championship for inadvertently improving his lie on the fifth hole, dropping him from second place to a tie for fifth, three shots behind the leader Lucas Herbert.
- The penalty followed a heated on-course exchange with officials, during which DeChambeau initially expressed frustration and considered withdrawing from the tournament but later confirmed he would continue playing.
- The ruling was based on the rule that any improvement of the lie, even if accidental, results in a penalty, as explained by R&A rules chief Grant Moir.
- DeChambeau had shown strong form with a 3-under 67 in Round 1 and a 4-under 66 in Round 2 before the penalty, marking his best major performance so far in 2024 after missing cuts earlier in the season.
- Despite the setback, DeChambeau remains in contention for his first Claret Jug, but the incident raises questions about his mental resilience going into the weekend rounds.
